Jansson publications issued by the royal swedish academy of music no. Building an acoustic steel string guitar details on how i. Purpose i have built my first acoustic guitar and thought it would be good to share my experiences with others. String gauge is measured in thousandths of an inch, and a set of strings can be named after the thickness of the first thick string in the set. The archtop material is the main reason to read this book. Another resource that i relied heavily upon, especially for guidance on making the dovetail joint was the web site titled building an acoustic steelstring guitar created by jonathan sevy. I charted a course somewhere between the 2 approaches. Classic guitar construction takes you step by step through the construction of a fine classic guitar. Im from the same vintage when i started in 1978, i had the david russell young book, as well as irving sloane s steel string guitar book.
Construction and repair 1975, and irving sloane s followup book steel string guitar construction 1975. My original source of instruction and inspiration for making flattop steel string acoustic guitars was the wonderful book by irving sloane on the subject 1. The nylon acoustic classical and flamenco, the steel string acoustic folk and the electric. Replace nylon strings with steel ones on a guitar made for steel strings. Irving sloane is the author of steel string guitar construction 3. But many people dont know anything else about the steelstrings construction, parts, materials, or origins. Replace nylon strings with steel ones on a guitar made for. When three or more notes are played at the same time, its called a chord. An acoustic wooden string instrument with strings made of gut or nylon, it is a precursor of the modern acoustic and electric guitars, both of which use metal strings. The classical guitar also known as the classic guitar, nylon string guitar or spanish guitar is a member of the guitar family used in classical music. The nylon acoustic classical and flamenco, the steelstring acoustic folk and the electric. Irving sloane, a fine guitarmaker and designer, has. Times are a changing and it is 2008 and we find multiplatinum recording artist barenaked ladies releasing snacktime.
Arched workboards for steel string guitar construction jonathan. Therefore, a steelstring guitars neck is narrow with closer string spacing. This is an excellent book, if youre considering building a steel string acoustic guitar. Standard sets of acoustic guitar strings come between. And when i am playing guitar with others, they tell me that they can hear my guitar very well, even when i am playing with other guitars. Theory for guitar players, guitar theory american guitar. In these days there are more sophisticated books on classic guitar construction but the sloane s book remains a classic manual. The book guitarmaking by cumpiano and natelson is the must have book on building an acoustic guitar.
Specific top thickness in the guitar ervin somogyi. Binding the body when the body is complete, with top and back glued to the sides, binding can be applied to the body edges. Sloane lived in new york and had access to the dangelico and daquisto shop, or at least to photos of john and jimmy at work. See all 4 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. If youre new to the pedal steel guitar, it can be intimidating to look at 20 or so strings and imagine the time and expense of changing them all. Guitar string notes is the first in a series of basic tips and tutorials here on for beginner guitarists.
Coupling simply refers to an interaction between two or more vibrating elements. Steel string guitar construction and making musical instruments were his final two books. How to make the choice between a nylon or steel string guitar. The steelstring acoustic guitar evolved from the nylon or gutstring classical guitar, and because steel strings have higher tension, heavier construction is required overall. Classic guitar construction irving sloaneluthieria. My hope is that anyone who enjoys woodworking or any fine craftsmanship for that matter will enjoy reading through as i describe the steps it took to build this guitar. In need of a fantastic range of beautiful acoustic guitars where you can find whatever you need for the eager beginner or the discerning expert and anywhere inbetween. Jan 17, 2011 almost everybody knows that a steelstring guitar has metal strings, as opposed to classical guitars, which are strung with nylon.
Most steel string guitars have bridge pins and the ball end steel strings are inserted through the bridge itself into the. Based in perth, western australia the sound centre guitar team proudly displays an extensive range of acoustic guitars from highly regarded manufacturers such as cole clark, seagull. Steelstring guitar construction by irving sloane, hardcover. In these days there are more sophisticated books on classic guitar construction but the sloanes book remains a classic manual. Provides stepbystep instructions for constructing an appalachian dulcimer, an alto recorder, a hardanger fiddle, a five string banjo, a snare drum, and a tambourine.
Chord construction is explained, as well as how it relates to the pedal steel guitar. I saw this seville s online the only difference was the neck was a lighter color than mine, and the back was lighter as well. Its construction, origin, and design 1973, david russell youngs the steel string guitar. Function, construction and quality of the guitar papers given at a seminar organized by the committee for the acoustics of music edited by erik v. The fallout from this piece has been very wide spread. Chords, however, are not just any 3 or more notes thrown together.
Steelstring guitar construction book by irving sloane. Ill add sections as i reach those points in building this seasons instruments. The second book is considered the bible of guitar construction and it is. Building an acoustic steelstring guitar the following illustrates the approach i use to build acoustic steel string guitars. Provides stepbystep instructions for constructing an appalachian dulcimer, an alto recorder, a hardanger fiddle, a fivestring banjo, a snare drum, and a tambourine. An illustrated black and white overview of how a steel string guitar is built, including a section on the archtop guitar. Life is preparing further articles for another series. Building an acoustic steel string guitar the following illustrates the approach i use to build acoustic steel string guitars. After all, strings are the first link in your signal chain and theres real science that goes into string design and construction. In february of 2001, i ordered a set of materials for a steelstring acoustic guitar. Buy a cheap copy of steelstring guitar construction book by irving sloane. Im from the same vintage when i started in 1978, i had the david russell young book, as well as irving sloanes steel string guitar book. There are two books by irving sloane that i also found useful. Building an acoustic steelstring guitar the following illustrates the approach i use to build acoustic steelstring guitars.
The raw acoustics of the electric guitar arent quite as interesting as the acoustic guitars although you may be interested in dan russells work. With lists of simple hand tools,this lovely book is informative to novice or experienced builder. Construction and repair by young, david russell and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. In 1970, he came upon the book classical guitar construction by irving sloane, one of the. Steel string guitar construction paperback 1 dec 1990. Morrell jmlse premium 6string lap steel guitar strings for etuning 1458. Apr 19, 2011 the steelstring guitar was originally developed for a playing style in which the frettinghand thumb wraps around the neck, while the pickinghand attacks the strings with a plectrum. The steel string acoustic guitar evolved from the nylon or gut string classical guitar, and because steel strings have higher tension, heavier construction is required overall. Sloane uses very few power tools, explaining how to make and use the special jigs and tools you will need. Its intended to be a sort of pictorial journey through the construction of a guitar. One innovation is a metal bar called a truss rod, which is incorporated into the neck to strengthen it and provide adjustable countertension to the stress of the. A a almost everybody knows that a steelstring guitar has metal strings, as opposed to classical guitars, which are strung with nylon. I used a dovetail neck joint rather than a mortised neck joint. Good strings keep your guitar sounding its best, stay in tune better, and sustain longer.
Irving sloane author of steel string guitar construction. Get the printable pdf including the theory section with integrated sound. When you first learn to play the guitar, everything seems fascinating. Music theory on music reading, interval, scale degree, construction of scales and chords as well as composition of chord progressions for guitar. These were the first sources of published information on the steel string. Steelstring guitar construction acoustic sixstring, twelvestring. Buy a cheap copy of steel string guitar construction book by irving sloane. The other three were donald brosnacs the steel string guitar. Irving sloane, 73, selftaught guitar maker the new york times.
I cant say exactly why i decided to use a dovetail joint for my guitar other than it just appealed to me. The binding is wooden stripping that wraps around the edges of the body, providing both decoration and protection. Planning and design building an acoustic steel string guitar. The book contains complete plans for an instrument, although the information is scattered and the body is shown half scale. Somogyi is a maker of highend steel string guitars. This is perhaps the strongest article ever published in american lutherie about voicing the top and bracing of the steel string guitar. An overview this is an inside look at the may 2015 acoustic guitar workshop at eric schaefer guitars. Times are a changing and it is 2008 and we find multiplatinum recording artist barenaked ladies releasing snacktime, a collection of 24.
The sloane books arent as comprehensive as the cumpiano book, but they present some alternative ways of. Steelstring guitar construction acoustic sixstring, twelvestring, and archedtop guitars by irving sloane isbn. Classic guitar construction irving sloane snippet view 1984. By far and away it was my most important resource, i followed the construction process outlined in the book nearly to the letter with one major exception. In the early days of guitar, there were not many options available, and the materials and construction were comparatively primitive to what we have today. The steel string guitar construction repair by young david. First of all, on a guitar, the string is excited plucked or picked by your fingers, vibrating the bridge, which then goes on to vibrate the soundboard and the internal air cavity, then the back and sides and so on. This book instructs the reader on building acoustic sixs.
The steelstring guitar was originally developed for a playing style in which the frettinghand thumb wraps around the neck, while the pickinghand attacks the strings with a plectrum. Steel string acoustic guitars at sound centre perth. The class is an 8 day intensive course in guitar making with a maximum of only 2 students to a class. Chord construction formulas ted greene last update. Sort by dunlop 918 stainless steel tonebar for dobro resonator, lappedal steel. Building a steelstring guitar building a folk harp. Sloane lived in new york and had access to the dangelico and daquisto shop.
Acoustic sixstring, twelvestring, and archedtop guitars irving sloane on. After all, music sets everything in our lives in motion, or so most music lovers believe. Easily built tools, not available in many other books on guitar construction. So youve just got your first guitar or bass, or perhaps its been sitting there for a while and youve decided its about time you picked it up and had some fun with it. Acoustic six string, twelve string, and archedtop guitars irving sloane on. Jun 01, 1990 an illustrated black and white overview of how a steel string guitar is built, including a section on the archtop guitar. Classic guitar construction and steel string guitar construction. Calculate the mass of a 4 m long piece of the steel string. Materials,forms,tools,processes,assemply,techniques,rosette making. The classical guitar also known as the classic guitar, nylonstring guitar or spanish guitar is a member of the guitar family used in classical music. A typical steel bstring in a guitar resonates in its fundamental frequency at 240 hz. Steel string guitar construction by irving sloane goodreads.